Authors Notes: I keep mixing up fallow and follow and only notice it after I post. So frustrating, I look over these things like 8 times! Why do I keep finding mistakes- it's never ending! T-T
Anyway…. Sorry about that rant… This is the chapter I predicted in ch17 to have been the end… well… I was wrong- but I'm always wrong. And I can't write short story's… It won't be long though till the end.

Surviving the Titans
By GhostAnn

Chapter 22: Losing Control

Slade's eyes narrowed as he saw the battle taking place outside on the monitor's. "This is too perfect." He said. "Time to test out my new apprentice."

"Let me go!" Robin resisted the Slade bots as they dragged him out of his cage. With a little luck he managed to focus enough to phase out of their grip. Spinning he kicked the two bots sending them down like dominoes. Quickly he ran- or more floated- over toward Valerie's cell and yanked on the bars as he looked around. "I don't see a key!" He said.

"Try blasting the lock!" Valerie suggested.

"What?" Robin asked looking to her.

"Phantom- or Danny has this ghost ray he can fire- and I've seen other ghost use a similar attack- I'm sure if you concentrate you can blast this lock open!"

Robin stared at her. "I can't even keep my feet on the ground! How do you expect me to concentrate enough to fire a blast!?" He held up his hand before she could answer rubbing his temples. "No- you're right- I can do this. Just like meditation…" He frowned deeply as he centered his thought, his feet touched the ground. He let a small smile cross his face at this achievement before focusing again.

"Think of energy in your hand." Valerie said. "Maybe that'll work. Or like visualize a gun going off."

"I've got it." Robin said a bit irritated. "Thanks." Opening his eyes he lifted his hand aiming it at the lock. Valerie took a couple steps back as Robins hand began to glow. A minute passed and nothing happened. "It's not firing!" Robin growled.

"Try harder!" Valerie said.

"How!?" Robin asked his patients wearing thin.

"Like I'd know!"

"This sucks!" Robin punched the metal and it bent under the force, the energy from his hand milting it, just slightly. "Wait a minute…" Realizing what just happened Robin stepped back and focused his energy into his hand. It glowed brightly. Looking up at Valerie he grinned before chopping the lock right through.

"NICE!" Valerie said pushing the cage door open. "Let's get out of here!"

"Right behind you!"

Maddie would have been having fun had the situation been different. Vlad had a musician who was playing soothing music on his violin. Unfortunately for Vlad- who was unable to smooth her mood with his charms- Maddie's mind was on other things. First of all, her husband who was no doubt being deprived of fudge and tortured in varies ways with his own fears. Secondly the fact that her captor was Vlad Masters, she knew he could be a jerk at times but this was ridiculous. And last, she was worried about Danny. He had tapped her shoulder at one point and whispered something to her- all she caught was that it had something to do with escaping before he stopped. It looked like someone had cattle prodded him. His shoulders twitched as he stared viciously at the mashed potatoes on his plate. Unbeknownst to Maddie, imagining how he could accomplish turning Vlad into a similar form.

"Please, Maddie, cheer up." Vlad said.

"Let me and my son go and I just might." Maddie said with a snarl.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot, with a clean conscience do that." Vlad said with an apologetic air. "I'm afraid there's a ghost after you two. What kind of friend would I be if I just let you walk into his trap."

Danny glared at the man. "You'd know all about traps wouldn't you?"

"Oh… I wouldn't say I'm unfamiliar with them." Vlad said, taping the button, causing Danny to let out an involuntary noise of pain. "Being a business man by trade I have run into my fair share of traps."

"Even so." Maddie said, looking at Danny worried. "I'm a ghost hunter Vlad. Why wouldn't you think I could handle this myself?"

"It's- guh!" Vlad stopped grabbing his head. At the same time Danny also grabbed his own head letting out a yell. "That traitor!" Vlad hissed.

"What is this?" Danny asked trembling he stood his chair falling.

"Danny!" Maddie cried shaking his shoulders as he screamed. She looked to Vlad- she wanted to blame him, but he looked to be in as much pain as Danny was. "What is going on?"

"Hum…" Techness said his head tilting to the side just slightly. "Seems like the party is just about to bust lose."

"What are you talking about?" Beastboy asked.

"Don't talk to the ghost." Raven said irritated. "Just take him down."

Starfire was blasting helplessly at the large mechanical robot, and Jazz was firing a small ghost ray of her own. "Hurry!" Sam said.

"We are hurrying!" Cyborg and Tucker responded.

Tucker had hooked a cable up to the foot of the large robot and plugged it into Cyborgs arm the two were working together to brake the fire wall. "Got it!" They said in unison.

"Wh- What!?" Techness said in surprised as he started spazzing out. "N-no!" He cried as the machine fell apart and he was sucked into a Fenton Thermos that Sam brandished.

"Good job Team!" Cyborg said. "Now let's go save the others!"

Suddenly lights came on illuminating the darkened yard.

The group stopped dead in their tracks as a familiar and daunting figure appeared.

"So what's the plan?" Valerie asked.

"First we need to find Danny." Robin said, pausing every couple of feet to look in a room.

Valerie watched him fly from one side of the hall to the next checking each room. "Is it weird…?" She asked.

"Other than being dead?" Robin asked. "Other than feeling horribly cold- I feel normal." Robin said.

"Even when your legs do that ghost tail thing?"

Robin stopped looking down and his feet returned to normal as he landed. "I didn't even notice… It takes concentration to stand on the floor though- so flying is easier." He said.

"I wonder if it's the same for Danny…"

"It's hard to say." Robin said. "He's only half ghost."

"Right." The two moved on till Robin stopped grabbing his head. "Robin? What's wrong?"

Back outside the other teens face a grave threat. "Not so fast." Slade walked out to greet them.

"Slade!" The Titans growled.

"Where's Danny!?" Sam growled.

"Where's Robin!?" Cyborg demanded.

"Where?" Slade asked acting surprised as Raven spun to look behind them. "Why, they're right behind you."

The group turned to face the ghostly boys, their eyes glowing a malignant red.

"What have they done to Robin?" Starfire asked.

"They've made me a perfect being." Robin said with a dark grin his hands lighting up with energy.

"We've joined the dark side." Danny said building energy in his hands as well. "Time to put an end to this circus."

"No way." Jazz said. "What's wrong with you Danny?"

"Danny." Sam gaped up at her friend.

"This is not good." Raven said. The other teens couldn't agree more as they looked up to their ghostly friends.

Authors Notes: If you're wondering why Robin didn't just faze Valerie out of the cage- the thought hadn't occurred to him. Valerie wanted to destroy the lock- and Robin didn't have enough control- something could go wrong when trying to phase through things. Not so bad for him since he's a ghost right now- but not so good for flesh and blood Valerie… and yes, Robin is full ghost not half.

As for what will happen next… hum… so many choices- and as for Maddie… did she happen to see Danny transform? Why am I asking you? I know all the answers already…?

…

'Cause it's fun.